The Allied Health setting

A physiotherapist will help keep you as active as you are able to be while living with your lung disease. They will work together with you and may help you to:

• Provide education to help you develop knowledge of your lung condition and related medical problems.
• Treat physical symptoms and work with you to understand and manage them.
• Find solutions to problems you may have due to your lung disease and any other conditions by doing a full assessment. This might include referral to other team members.
• Develop and follow an exercise program to relieve symptoms and improve your quality of life.
• Manage breathlessness with physical activity, breathing techniques, relaxation techniques, distraction techniques and pacing activities.
• Clear secretions (mucus) from your airways with airway clearance techniques or devices.
• Regularly check your oxygen levels and blood pressure, especially after supervised exercise.

An accredited exercise physiologist may assist you by:

• Developing and monitoring an exercise program specifically designed for your individual needs.

• Supporting you to manage breathlessness with physical activity, breathing techniques, relaxation techniques and pacing activities.

• Providing you with the support and education required to create realistic exercise/physical activity management goals.

Occupational therapists assist you by helping you:

• Develop ways of better managing everyday activities such as washing, dressing and cooking.
• To work out if any changes are needed at home to help you manage better.

A psychologist will:

• Help you work through fears, worries, and resolving problems.
• Teach you strategies to handle anxiety and depression, and how to relax.
• Teach you how to manage panic attacks.

A social worker will provide you with information or support on documents such as Advanced Health Care Directives and in seeking services such as:

• Home help.
• Childcare.
• Financial and legal advice.

A dietitian can assist you if you are underweight or overweight. The dietitian assesses your dietary requirements, and develops a nutritional intervention that will improve lung and respiratory muscle function, improve exercise performance and achieve a healthy weight.

A tobacco treatment specialist will assist you in stopping smoking. They help you quit through intensive counselling and the use of smoking cessation medicines.